Workshop 1: Creating a Community of Writers

Velvet McReynolds' Reflections

Community-building strategy

The
Monday meeting for me does two things. Number one, it does give that physical
practice of writing. And I tell them that, you know, you want fluency in writing,
you write. You want fluency in reading, you read. And so I do talk about that,
and I'm hoping that some day some of their quick writes turn into perhaps
narratives or maybe it will be food for expository somewhere down the line.
It's part of that routine and ritual.

Once we write, I used to give I think the first 15 minutes of class,
and then I learned that that's way too long for a quick write and so
I just, seven (minutes) is an arbitrary number, and so I just chose seven
minutes, but I also want them to learn to be communicators. That's part
of the language arts. That's what I teach. I teach communication skills,
as well. And so I remind them that speaking and writing are two different
skills, two different things that I want them to master. And so they
have to close their books. I also share with them that I have no way
of knowing whether they're sharing what they wrote. They may go off on
a lark, but taking notes is part of organizing thoughts. And so I want
to do a lot with them. I want them to be able to share with their neighbors,
but I want it to be well thought out. Sometimes in the past I would get
just shenanigans or very, very silly, not focused. The writing helps
them focus, and that's important to me.

I don't think any of us are going to do our best if we don't feel valued and respected wherever we are, on the athletic team or in the classroom. I listen to them. I take time. I give them time.

Traditionally, teachers of writing would give the assignment, send the
kids away somewhere, like home, and then the next day collect it and
grade it, and you don't have the dialogue. I don't think my students
will be able to identify what makes my classroom a different place and
hopefully a special place, but I know that it's the dialogue. It's taking
time to talk to people. I talk to them through their writing and about
their writing. I encourage them to talk to one another.